Any Port in a Storm
by loonie lupin
Summary: Dawn meets Danny. That and the morning after.


**Title**: Any Port in a Storm  
**Series**: The Dawn and Danny Chronicles  
**Author**: nilitara  
**Fandom**: CSI:NY, BtVS  
**Rating**: PG  
**Ships**: Danny/Dawn  
**Word Count**: 1561  
**Summary**: Dawn meets Danny. That and the morning after.  
**For**: crossovers100  
**Prompt**: 025. Strangers  
**Disclaimer**: The characters are the property of their respective creator. I own nothing.

**Any port in a storm**

When Dawn awoke that morning, the very first thing she realized was that she wasn't in her room. It wasn't that hard to see – or rather smell as the case was that she hadn't opened her eyes yet. Her room was full of old dusty books, like Buffy always told her, and it gave the place a library-like smell, like it used to be when the gang held their meeting at Giles' in good old Sunnydale. The second thing she realized was that she wasn't alone, as could attest the arm which was thrown around her waist and which was most certainly not hers, what with being male.

Of course, that made her think about whose bed exactly she was in and a smile graced her lips as she recalled, fondly, the night before. She hadn't planned for it to go that way but, she had to admit, she was glad it happened. She hadn't realized just how much she had needed someone to love her, just for one night.

Her mind took her back to the bar where she had gone after sunset. It was in New York, as she had been back in the Big Apple for about a week, after another trip to London she had had obtained, finally, her doctorate in Ancient Civilizations and Languages. It had been like that during the last few years, most of her time spent either in London, where she went to University or the Headquarter of the International Council of Watchers, ICW for short, or New York, where she had decided to live, with the necessary side trips to Africa, South America and, of course, Cleveland, the new Sunnydale, but without the shining sun.

She had needed an outing, after a whole week of translating a book in an obscure form of Ancient Latin for Wesley, something to do with a prophecy – again. Don't get her wrong, she absolutely loved doing translation and helping Angel Investigation – as the vampire was now heading a 'detective agency' once again, but she had to admit that doing nothing else for almost ten days on was too much.

She had gone to a bar, her intention being to get a drink, see some people and, maybe, make some new friends. Well, she had made a friend, just not in the same sense. It hadn't been planned but, when he had come to her, flirting without shame, she hadn't been able to do anything but answer in kind.

He was handsome, had that bad boy's charm that attracted her and caused her a lot of trouble, more often than not, but she could tell he wasn't on the wrong side of the law. Everything in his stance had screamed law-enforcement to her – being able to recognize it so easily was a side-effect of the new and welcomed association with government agencies for when cases touching the supernatural fell first into the hands of the cops, or the feds. It avoided a lot of unnecessary deaths and also let the Council operate with a lot less worry. Thankfully, they had the support of both the President and the Queen of England, as well as the respect of a number of organization around the world, contrary to the former Council.

That said, she had immediately felt at ease with him, loving his sense of humor and the way his eyes – his beautiful green eyes – watched her with such hunger she had known exactly how the night would end after 'hello'. She had been more herself with him than with a number of people in London, including her own family who still had, sometimes, troubles to see her as anything more than the fifteen year-old girl who had stood on the edge of a metal tower so many years ago.

It was one of the reasons that had pushed Dawn to chose somewhere else to live, somewhere none of the former Sunnydalers lived. Because it bothered her to be treated as a kid when she was twenty-two already, and even more when they wouldn't let her make her own choices and looked at her strangely anytime she dared to be herself when it wasn't fitting the image they had of her. She couldn't have gone on like this, so she had moved and guessed that, maybe, they would come to see her as more than a teenager. Up to now, it seemed to work but only time would tell.

With that stranger, though, nothing mattered. She had asked his name, of course she had. She had still been wary, even though he was only giving her good vibes. Danny. Danny Messer. She understood better her first impression now.

She had already heard that name. she hadn't lived in New York very long, but it was a well- known name for some people and, as she was still dealing with demons and vampires, she had a lot of contact with people from the streets. She knew all about the gangs and all about the mobs and she knew how the Messer name tied into both. Of course, she had never heard of Danny before, so the only thing she could think of was that he had gotten way – and they stopped talking about him because become a cop was like high treason in their eyes. Even becoming a forensic expert, as she soon learned he was.

They had talked for a while but Dawn had been getting restless and she could see that Danny was too so she had cut the chase and asked him if he was ever going to take her back home. She had seen the surprise in his eyes, just a fraction of second, and then he had smiled – or smirked really – and had paid their note.

The rest of the night had been a blur of sensations she hadn't felt in way too long. It had felt so good to feel so alive again and Danny had known exactly how to make her moan his name. He had known exactly what buttons to push, how to play her like his favorite violin, and she had responded beautifully, soon lost into the whirlwind of sensation that was rushing through her. She hadn't been lost enough not the be aware she had the same effect of him and it was more than enough to make her all the more excited. It was like she had never known her body before and that Danny had activated all the commands just by being himself.

They had come down from their high after a while and she had been so lethargic she hadn't even made a move to get out of bed. She had known it wasn't anything serious, just one night they both had needed, but it didn't matter. She hadn't wanted to leave at that moment and, judging by the fact that he hadn't asked her to, maybe Danny had wanted someone to sleep with – just sleep – for one night. Soon, they had both feel asleep.

And now, here she was, cocooned into Danny's warmth. She knew it was going to end soon. They both had their life they had to go back to. However, it didn't mean she couldn't milk it for all it was worth and, for now, she just wanted to stay there.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one to have woken up. She could feel the tightening of Danny's arm around her and she pushed back against him, telling him she was awake too. He kissed her on the shoulder.

"Morning," he said, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Good morning," she answered with a smile, turning to give him a kiss that soon became heated.

Unfortunately, they were interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. Dawn knew her ringing tones well enough to know it wasn't her and she knew that it had to work. Hearing the groan coming from her lover, she knew he had realized it too.

"I have to take his," he said, as if apologizing to her and just smiled, letting him know she understood.

As he saw the message, he turned to her but she interrupted before he had time to say anything.

"Crime doesn't take any vacation, does it?"

He shook his head.

"Never."

He was going to add something but it was her turn to receive a message and she knew exactly what would be on it. She knew that something had to have happened in New York or its vicinity for them to call on her and she wasn't going to let anything bad happen in her city without consequences for the one who did it. She could be a frightening opponent it need be.

"Guess you're not the only one with a case," she said with a shrug as he watched her.

His eyebrows rose.

"I thought you were a translator?" he asked, put out.

"Side activity. But that would be telling," she added playfully, a finger on his lips to prevent him from speaking more, not wanting to have to explain and hoping she had been cryptic enough he had noticed.

"A shower before we say goodbye?" she proposed with a wicked grin, to change the subject more effectively.

He just laughed, his breath puffing on her finger before he nibbled it gently.

"You read my mind."


End file.
